Our big family event - the Learning Showcase - was last night!
School day ended and we teachers rallied:
quickly, quickly,
set up displays,
run get that from that teacher,
bring that to another,
quickly, quickly,
in and out of the room, dashing about,
type up signs,
back and forth to the photocopier,
tidy up the classroom,
quickly, quickly,
hide the clutter,
drape cloths to cover those eyesores,
wipe down surfaces,
yikes, just throw that out!
quickly, quickly,
should that be on the wall?
could that be hidden in a cabinet?
do a mental walk through - what does this look like to a visitor?
quickly, quickly,
put on background music, on endless loop,
run to the bathroom to freshen up,
change into nicer clothes,
brush your hair,
quickly, quickly
head to the multipurpose room,
"all hands on deck,"
open windows,
find permanent markers,
bring another table out,
hand out name tags,
greet and smile,
smile and greet,
try to slow down,
try to be present,
wave as you are introduced,
head back down to your room,
quickly, quickly,
back in the classroom,
families flood in,
children pulling parents by the hand,
showing off their work,
discovering,
hugging me,
surrounding me,
squealing with delight,
so fun to be at school at night,
their work,
their classroom,
the meaning of the evening.
Whew!
I could feel the energy swirl. You captured it exactly. Quickly, quickly that is just how it feels on an evening like this. I hope you were able to slow down and be present.
ReplyDeleteYou described that rushing around perfectly. Do you suppose parents ever understand what it takes to put this together after teaching all day? It sounds like it was a successful night for all. Now rest!
ReplyDeleteI am out of breath just reading. You definitely caught the whirl of work and wonder that is a parent event.
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